Sixth grade boys caught texting in class

[dakcp2001]

Forgive me for not reading all 4 pages of replies. I wish in our society parents would spend more time disciplining their children for their bad behavior rather than seeking out excuses to enable them. The lawsuits are so out of hand. You do not get to sue, your children were misbehaving.

If I got in trouble at school, I always knew I was in BIG trouble when I got home. I don't understand why parents are always looking for someone else to blame.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

That is fine but did they make you get ALL the notes you had written for the year? all the notes your Mom had written to you? maybe personal notes to you from a boyfriend (if you were older) No it was the one note you let yourself be caught with.

She was being nosy going back more than a text or 2 and especially if they were not dangerous texts. She didn't like they were talking about her and she nosily kept reading. Like I said doesn't she have better use of her time than reading a child's silly texts? Good to know they have that many administrators with so much time on their hands. I wouldn't want that to get out if I had that job.

Agreed. The police, if they pull you over for a traffic violation, don't have a right to search your car. If the child violated the rule about texting in school, then you take away the cell phone so that they can no longer text, not search it.

The whole "what ifs", about what texts might have been in that confiscated cell phone...suicidal texts, murderous texts, bullying texts...could apply to any child's cell phone, not just the one confiscated. The act of texting in school doesn't imply that any of those threats existed, and therefore, there's no reason to read the texts. If there's a bullying issue, then that's a separate issue and whatever legal actions need to be taken to look at texts should be taken. That didn't exist in this situation.

Why do some people seem to think that parents couldn't be upset with their child for breaking the rules and also upset with the principal for reading the texts?

If I was the parent in that situation, you can bet that my kid would have serious consequences for breaking the rules. And unless there was a policy in place stating that the administration was allowed access to all information on a student's electronic device, then I would also be very upset that they felt they had the right to read my child's private messages. This in no way is similar to getting caught passing a note in class. In that case, the teacher can read that note only. With a cell phone, there are texts from quite a long time held in memory. Apples and oranges.

Exactly!

As a teacher I know the problems of students having their phones in class very well. However, I would NEVER read my students' messages, ever.

 

[AristocatFan]

We have had this happen so many times in the elem school I work in. That is how we handle it but we only check through the phone and look at the times messages were sent. We don't specifically open up a text and read it unless there is a reason. It goes with anything being brought onto school grounds being allowed to be gone through. As a para I routinely have to go through/clean out desks, backpacks, cubbies and sometimes phones.

This is the age of advancing technology. Just yesterday our principal had to ban all Nintendo DS's (they had been allowed at recess) because a group of 3rd graders were inappropriately chatting on them.

 

[Freyja]

Thank You so much Freya!!!!
It is so wonderful to see a teacher who knows some boundaries.

I think that perhaps things are very different where you are than here in the US right now.

No need to thank me. I am just a firm believer that respect should be a two way street and that in order for my students to respect me I must respect them too!

Agreed. The police, if they pull you over for a traffic violation, don't have a right to search your car. If the child violated the rule about texting in school, then you take away the cell phone so that they can no longer text, not search it.

The whole "what ifs", about what texts might have been in that confiscated cell phone...suicidal texts, murderous texts, bullying texts...could apply to any child's cell phone, not just the one confiscated. The act of texting in school doesn't imply that any of those threats existed, and therefore, there's no reason to read the texts. If there's a bullying issue, then that's a separate issue and whatever legal actions need to be taken to look at texts should be taken. That didn't exist in this situation.Exactly!

I can´t see any reason, in a regular school setting, which would justify going through my students' phones!

 

[plutotek]

Agreed. The police, if they pull you over for a traffic violation, don't have a right to search your car. If the child violated the rule about texting in school, then you take away the cell phone so that they can no longer text, not search it.

Your example is apples vs oranges. Yes, cops cannot search a car during a traffic stop w/o probable cause. However, the violation in this case involves the cell phone itself, thereby making it an element of the "crime" and subject to search.

 

[Art 1]

Forgive me for not reading all 4 pages of replies. I wish in our society parents would spend more time disciplining their children for their bad behavior rather than seeking out excuses to enable them. The lawsuits are so out of hand. You do not get to sue, your children were misbehaving.

If I got in trouble at school, I always knew I was in BIG trouble when I got home. I don't understand why parents are always looking for someone else to blame.

 

[MichelleVW]

Forgive me for not reading all 4 pages of replies. I wish in our society parents would spend more time disciplining their children for their bad behavior rather than seeking out excuses to enable them. The lawsuits are so out of hand. You do not get to sue, your children were misbehaving.

If I got in trouble at school, I always knew I was in BIG trouble when I got home. I don't understand why parents are always looking for someone else to blame.

Yes, the child should have gotten in trouble...if you had read all pages you would have seen that we all agree on that, BUT the principal really didn't need to go through the phone to read the texts.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Jeez..... this one needed a poll to see how many folks would have sued.

 

[krcit]

Forgive me for not reading all 4 pages of replies. I wish in our society parents would spend more time disciplining their children for their bad behavior rather than seeking out excuses to enable them. The lawsuits are so out of hand. You do not get to sue, your children were misbehaving.

If I got in trouble at school, I always knew I was in BIG trouble when I got home. I don't understand why parents are always looking for someone else to blame.

Here's a novel idea!!! Follow the rules and there would be no problem.

 

[SadieDog]

Why do some people seem to think that parents couldn't be upset with their child for breaking the rules and also upset with the principal for reading the texts?

If I was the parent in that situation, you can bet that my kid would have serious consequences for breaking the rules. And unless there was a policy in place stating that the administration was allowed access to all information on a student's electronic device, then I would also be very upset that they felt they had the right to read my child's private messages. This in no way is similar to getting caught passing a note in class. In that case, the teacher can read that note only. With a cell phone, there are texts from quite a long time held in memory. Apples and oranges.

Exactly. I agree.

As a teacher I know the problems of students having their phones in class very well. However, I would NEVER read my students' messages, ever.

 

[hereyago]

Here's a novel idea!!! Follow the rules and there would be no problem.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

when we passed notes in school, teachers took them up and read them when we got caught. IMHO, this is no different, just a different form of note-passing. as a PP said: too bad, so sad for them.

The texts that are on the phone are going to be from other people as well, INCLUDING the parents. The principal does NOT need to know what I'm telling my child.

Here's a novel idea!!! Follow the rules and there would be no problem.

Except that it's not that black and white. Not every person who texted these students were doing so in class. So there IS a problem for those who were innocent of breaking the rules.

 

[Carly_Roach]

Except that it's not that black and white. Not every person who texted these students were doing so in class. So there IS a problem for those who were innocent of breaking the rules.

Then I guess it's an added lesson about how your actions affect other people, isn't it? None of the previous texts would have been in danger of anyone else seeing them if the child wasn't breaking the rules in the first place.

Breaking rules or breaking the law has repercussions. This is one of them. If the phone wasn't out and being used in the first place, none of this would have happened.

 

[Freyja]

I´m curious. Those of you who feel the principle had a right to read the texts, would you feel the same if an employer caught his/her employees sending texts or personal e-mails during work. Would you feel the employer had a right to read the texts/emails?

 

[traviesojmt]

I´m curious. Those of you who feel the principle had a right to read the texts, would you feel the same if an employer caught his/her employees sending texts or personal e-mails during work. Would you feel the employer had a right to read the texts/emails?

The thing is that I do not give my 6th grader the same rights that I give an adult. My boss would never require me to sit in a corner. I do not have to ask my boss for permission to go use the restroom. My boss is well within his rights to punish (i.e., fire me for insubordination) but I would not hand over my phone to him.

Teachers are given very few discipline rights anymore regarding our children. Parents do not want anyone "telling" their children what to do. I would solidly side with the principal on this one. The children knew how to avoid this from happening. They rolled the dice and lost.

 

[hereyago]

I´m curious. Those of you who feel the principle had a right to read the texts, would you feel the same if an employer caught his/her employees sending texts or personal e-mails during work. Would you feel the employer had a right to read the texts/emails?

Yes, a lot of employers can even all ready know via software read what is on a employees computer. You are on their time.

As far as the kids, I can honestly see them being read: the teacher/principal didn't know if the boys could perhaps be cheating on a test, or whatever. If i saw the first message about the teacher, that would be enough for me to read.

It's funny with the cellphone things: in DD12 school office, there is a sign about cellphones can't be used in class, have to be in lockers. however, not sure about how many teachers, but DD's teachers this year and last year, the kids could have them either turned off or on vibrate. if one accidently sounded, they would be reminded to put it off or on silent. Now if they get caught texting in class or talking on phone, then that's when they would get in trouble, the teachers have told them, it's a mutual respect thing. they are "older" now, they can have them with them, just as long as they respect the teaching in the class.

And quite frankly, this year one teacher actually told us the parents, in the wake of columbine and VA. Tech, she would want her kids to have a cellphone in case something happened so they could contact her.

 

[Freyja]

The thing is that I do not give my 6th grader the same rights that I give an adult. My boss would never require me to sit in a corner. I do not have to ask my boss for permission to go use the restroom. My boss is well within his rights to punish (i.e., fire me for insubordination) but I would not hand over my phone to him.

Teachers are given very few discipline rights anymore regarding our children. Parents do not want anyone "telling" their children what to do. I would solidly side with the principal on this one. The children knew how to avoid this from happening. They rolled the dice and lost.

The thing is, I don´t think these kids knew how to avoid this from happening. My guess is that they never even thought of the possibility of the principle reading their texts.
As for sitting in a corner. I would never humiliate my students in such a way, nor would I tolerate my own children being humiliated by their teacher or principle.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Your example is apples vs oranges. Yes, cops cannot search a car during a traffic stop w/o probable cause. However, the violation in this case involves the cell phone itself, thereby making it an element of the "crime" and subject to search.

No, it's not. Student = driver. Cell phone = car.

Regarding suing. I don't think (didn't read all 4 pages) anyone who objects to the search of texts feels that the obvious or only course of action is "suing". I've never sued anyone, and I'd think very long and very hard about doing so in the future. But I WOULD object to this principal's actions. How I'd actually followup, I don't know, because I haven't been in those shoes. I've managed to get 3 kids through high school graduation (soon) without suing ever crossing my mind, despite some pretty idiotic actions of a VERY FEW teachers/administrators.

Shortly after 9/11, my DD (in MS) wore a shirt that had safety pins (WEAPONS) down the side, that kept the sides completely closed. (It was a "style". ) She had to remove the WEAPONS during the day, and spent the rest of the day with the sides of her shirt flapping open. Because God only knows what big horrific incident you all would have been reading about had she not. (?) I told DD I thought it was ridiculous, but don't wear the shirt to school again, and I never mentioned to the teacher/school how moronic I thought they were. (Heck, at least call me for a different shirt! Or pull one out of the box for kids who wear other "inappropriate" attire for her to put on!) I bit my tongue a few times over the years, let most things slide, and never considered suing. They would however, know that I objected to them searching my child's text messages.

Yes, there are consequences for actions. But it's not an "anything goes" situations. COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES...that's why just because you don't come to a complete stop at a stop sign, the police CANNOT SEARCH YOUR CAR, just as it was inappropriate to search the phone because of use during class. I also didn't see anyone say that there should be NO consequences for the child's actions. But it's not an "anything goes" situation.

 

[Freyja]

Yes, a lot of employers can even all ready know via software read what is on a employees computer. You are on their time.

As far as the kids, I can honestly see them being read: the teacher/principal didn't know if the boys could perhaps be cheating on a test, or whatever. If i saw the first message about the teacher, that would be enough for me to read.

It's funny with the cellphone things: in DD12 school office, there is a sign about cellphones can't be used in class, have to be in lockers. however, not sure about how many teachers, but DD's teachers this year and last year, the kids could have them either turned off or on vibrate. if one accidently sounded, they would be reminded to put it off or on silent. Now if they get caught texting in class or talking on phone, then that's when they would get in trouble, the teachers have told them, it's a mutual respect thing. they are "older" now, they can have them with them, just as long as they respect the teaching in the class.

And quite frankly, this year one teacher actually told us the parents, in the wake of columbine and VA. Tech, she would want her kids to have a cellphone in case something happened so they could contact her.

Just because you can, doesn´t mean you should!

 

[wintershawl]

No worse than passing notes back and forth. The Principal would read those, too.

Moral: If you don't want to lose your phone and/or any private messages on it, don't be using it when you shouldn't be.

This is what I was thinking exactly. It's just the new form of passing notes.

When I used to teach in a classroom (I teach online now), I would just take the notes and never read them. But, many people do. Most schools usually have some sort of no cell phone rule, but maybe this one didn't?